Two Cultures to Come Together to Share Ideas & Build a Stronger Relationship

Organized by the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), a subsidiary of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC – Chairman, KIM Eui-suk) that is associated with CJ Entertainment and the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK), the “2014 KAFA + Indonesia Workshop” came to a successful close.

Held from January 15th to the 23rd, the nine-day event selected twelve Indonesian directors and producers to participate and to meet and converse with the leaders of the Korean film industry. The event provided a place for the two cultures to come together to share ideas and build a stronger relationship. The workshop consisting of various talks and tours was meant to provide a nurturing experience for both Indonesian filmmakers as well as Korean participants. The twelve Indonesian attendees included Aoura Lovenson CHANDRA, Ardiansyah SOLAIMAN, Faozan RIZAL, Fauzan ZIDNI, Joko Eddy HARRYANTO, Nursita Mouly SURYA, Putrama PRADJAWASITA, Reza SERVIA, Salman ARISTO, Sendi SUGIHARTO, Rusli EDDY and Nurwan HADIYONO.

On the first day, the group visited the Korean Film Archive (KOFA) in Sangam-dong. They were given a tour of the company’s building along with a short demonstration of its archiving system. War of the Arrows (2011), which was released in Indonesia in 2012, was screened and director KIM Han-min was in attendance for a Q&A. There was also a discussion on investment strategies by JUNG Tae-sung who heads film operations in CJ Entertainment, a major investment and distribution company.

The next day, a large group discussion took place regarding film investment policies, filmmaking and life as filmmakers. Many were able to identify with one another while sharing personal experiences. Faozan RIZAL, the director of Indonesia’s most popular film Habibie & Ainun (2012), stated that from his experience, the relationship and communication between government and filmmaker is important in the growth of a film industry. RIZAL is also known for his previous works Banyu Biru (2005) and Ayat-ayat cinta (2008). Veteran Korean producer TCHA Sung-jai, who produced important Korean titles such as Memories of Murder (2003), was also in attendance to talk about the film industry in both countries and shared his own experiences working in cinema. In the evening, Lotte Entertainment’s LEE Sang-moo closed the day with a dissection of the roles of investment and distribution companies.

The following day, the Indonesian filmmakers were guided to the KOFIC Namyangju Studios for yet another exciting tour. The studio that the group was able to take a peek at is equipped with six sound stages, three outdoor set spaces, a museum, a prop rental house and more. It is currently housing the sets for The Pirates (W/T) directed by LEE Seok-hoon, starring KIM Nam-gil and Son Ye-jin, and The King’s Wrath (W/T) directed by LEE Jae-kyu, starring HYUN Bin, JUNG Jae-young and HAN Ji-min. Salman ARISTOS, the scriptwriter of Laskar Pelangi (2008), Indonesia’s second most popular film, had a personal moment as the tour went through the set depicting the border between North and South Korea. It was originally made for Joint Security Area/JSA (2000), which was the first film that led ARISTOS to become inspired by Korean films.

After the weekend, the 20th marked the fifth day of the workshop. Masquerade’s director CHOO Chang-min and producer WON Dong-yeon shared their thoughts on the Korean film industry’s production process in detail. Soon afterwards, casting director KIM Jong-do from Namoo Actors provided an opportunity to discuss the current trends and status of Korean talent management as well as comparing these to their Indonesian counterparts.

The next day, Korean Academy of Film Arts’ proud graduate JO Sung-hee and line producer KIM Hyun-kyu led an inspiring talk for young filmmakers about ways to become discovered as a new filmmaker and grow as a professional. JO directed and KIM produced A Werewolf Boy (2012), which had both domestic and international success following local box office success and several film festival invitations.

Furthermore, members of the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) such as LEE Joon-ik (Hope), LEE Mi-yeon (If You Were Me 3, 2006) and KIM Tai-sik (Tokyo Taxi, 2009) joined the workshop to share their knowhow as veteran filmmakers. In addition, KT Media Hub, a multimedia service provider, had a session to discuss Internet Protocol television (IPTV), which has yet to be introduced in Indonesia. This alternative exhibition format could become a market in the future for Indonesian filmmakers. Therefore the session was important as they might consider this element in advance of their next projects.

This workshop for Indonesia is the first since KOFIC decided on Southeast Asia as their next region to tighten relationships with. Such events will hopefully lead to better communication with the surrounding Southeast Asian countries as well, in order to share culture, investment strategies and other film-related knowhow. Following this successful event, KAFA is currently working to organize similar events with other Southeast Asian countries and will continue in their efforts to expose and share Korean culture and film.